At Genesis Land, we believe that building a new home in a new community should be a joyful experience for homebuyers, and we make it a point to partner with builders who feel the same way.
Yes, there are many decisions to make and steps to take when building a new home, but having a trusted, transparent home-builder guide you through the stages of construction will help you feel confident and supported throughout the entire journey — from purchase to possession.
Jacqueline Bedford is the design studio supervisor with our home-building division, Genesis Builders Group. In her role, Bedford helps new homeowners with their interior selections and serves as one of their main contacts throughout the construction process, answering any questions they have along the way.
Here, Bedford walks us through some of the main stages of the homebuilding process, giving us a glimpse into the kind of support and professionalism each new homeowner can expect when embarking on the new-build journey with Genesis Builders Group.
It begins with a friendly hello…
“We get started as soon as we receive notification of a firm deal,” says Bedford. “Right away after that, we send an email to the homeowner congratulating them and welcoming them to Genesis Builders Group. It’s an initial hello, but we also give a heads-up that we’ll be in touch as soon as they’ve reviewed the drawings of their home.”
Once the drawings are finalized, Bedford and her team set a date with the homeowner to go over interior design selections on-site at the Genesis Builders Group design studio. “Ahead of the meeting, I ask them to bring photos of any art or furniture they’re taking to their new house, as well as any vision boards they’ve put together, so that we can get an idea of what options might work,” she explains.
Starting the selection process
According to Bedford, the selection meeting at the design studio lasts for two hours, during which time the homeowner works with a member of the Genesis design team to go over all the interior design selections, from flooring and wall tile to paint colours, drapery, fixtures and more.
“Our design studio consists of small vignettes displaying different options of kitchens and vanities,” says Bedford, “but we also showcase a full kitchen, which allows customers to see our standard upgrades and some of our luxury options. We have a great assortment, and it’s presented in a way that allows a homeowner to actually see the full vignette, instead of just looking at pieces of samples. Also, that homeowner is the only customer in the design studio at the time of their meeting — we give a full two hours of focused time to each specific customer.”
Narrowing down the options
Of course, even with the one-on-one attention and the ease of visualization, it can be challenging to narrow down choices. That’s why Bedford likes her team to ask about a homeowner’s design budget early on. “Normally we’ll start the meeting with a discussion around the budget they have in mind,” she says, explaining that the designers can then stick to recommending selections that still give a ‘wow’ factor without surpassing the amount of money the homeowner wants to spend.
Once all the selections have been made, Bedford and her team put together what is called a “change order,” which essentially recaps all the selections made, along with their cost. The team also creates a mood board, taking the photos and images of existing art and furniture that the homeowner brought in, and putting them together with the design selections that have been made. This allows the homeowner to see the final look and either sign off or make adjustments. “On average, I’d say it takes us about two or three weeks to finalize the interior selections,” Bedford says.
Marking milestones
Following design selection sign-off, Bedford remains in contact with the homeowner, keeping them updated as construction of the home progresses. “Any time [construction] hits a milestone, I reach out with an update,” she says, adding that once the framing is complete, she schedules a site visit with the homeowner.
“The frame-walk stage allows them to see the functions behind the walls, before we start insulating or drywalling. It’s a nice little feature for our customers, and it helps them understand what a house [at this phase] looks like. A lot of our new homeowners haven’t seen or experienced that before.”
Sharing progress via technology
The site visit certainly builds excitement for the end product, but Genesis Builders Group makes sure to mark and share plenty of other moments and milestones throughout the building process. One of the key ways they do this is via the My Home Story app, which allows homeowners to receive photos and updates throughout the various stages of construction.
“Our sales team sends the homeowner images at key construction milestones,” says Bedford. “The team goes into the house, takes photos and adds them to the app. The homeowners automatically get a text message so they can send or share the images with family members or just see for themselves how their house is progressing.
Building relationships that last
Generally, it takes about a year for a Genesis-built home to be completed, and Bedford, along with the sales team, are there for the homeowner every step of the way. Bedford loves the bonds she develops with customers over the course of a build.
“I have homeowners who, even after possession, still contact me just to check in and chat,” she says. “It’s really nice getting to build such solid relationships with our customers over the course of the home-building process.”
Learn more about Genesis Builders Group here.
